Life-preserver.



No. 650,976. Patented June 5, I900.

H. C. LAVEHY.

LIFE PBESEBVER.

(Application filed Be'pt. '22s, 1899..)

(No Model.)

gala/62y attozvlmg UNITED TATES PATEN FFICFE.

HENRY O. LAVERYJOF \VEST SUPERIOR, VISCONSIN.

LIFE-PRESERVER;

sPnoImoAmon forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,976, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed September 23, 1899- Sarial No. 731,480. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. LAVERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vest Superior, in the county of Douglas and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Life-Preserver, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life-preservers; and the primary object of the invention is to provide a life-saving device which is very compactand designed to be carried upon the person, attached to the clothing, and which while normally deflated is capable of being automatically inflated by the action of water soon after the device comes in contact with the water where the person is suddenly and unexpectedly thrown overboard by the cap-' sizing of a boat or from various other causes.

One object of the invention is to provide, in connection with a normally-deflated airtight sack or bag, means for expanding or distending the bag, so as to cause a suction, which will draw a certain amount of water into the bag for the purpose of acting upon chemicals contained therein, to the end that the chemicals when acted upon by the water will effervesce or produce a gas which will intlate the bag or sack.

The invention also has for its object to provide, in connection with the means above re: ferred to, auxiliary means which willoperate automatically to close the entrance to the bag or sack and prevent the admission of too great an amount of water. a

The whole device is automatic in operation, requiring-n0 attention whatever on the part of the person carrying the life-preserver.

The detailed objects and advantages of the in vention will appear more fully in the course of the ensuing description. I

The invention consists 'in'a life-preserver embodying certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of .parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated in the claims. 4

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a life-preserver shown applied to and fastened upon the clothing of the wearer. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the life-preserver folded in propercondition to be attached to the clothing or carried on the person. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the device, with the pendent portion of the bag or sack omitted, showing the parts in the position they occupy before the seal is destroyed. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the position of parts assumed after the seal has been destroyed and the proper amount of water admitted to the sack, the cork or stopper being shown in its final position for closing the entrance to the bag. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line XX of Fig. 3, showing the parts in their collapsed condition. Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken through the upper portion of the bag, showing the bellows or expanding mechanism in plan view and showing the parts in the position they assume after water has been admitted to the bag or sack.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In constructing a life-preserver in accordance, with the present invention an inflatable bag or sack 1 of a suitable size is employed. This bag or sack should be of some elastic material, such as india-rubber, which is capable of stretching when expanded to a considerable extent. This bag or sack 1, which is normally deflated, has in its upper side an opening to receive one end of a tube 2, which projects a short distance outside of the bag and forms a neck 3, leading to the bag. The mouth of the bag 1 is secured upon the tube 2 by any suitable means, a binding or clampin g ring 4 being illustrated for that purpose, the said ring being arranged to seat itself between a pair of circumferential flanges or beads 5 and to confine the material of the bag between said beads,.as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 7

Secured rigidly to the tube 2. is a supporting-frame 6, which is preferably of rectangular shape, comprising the upper and lower parallel members 7 and 8, connected by the end cross-bars 9. The upper bar 7 is bent at or near its center in semicircular form, as

side and is rigidly connected to thetube by brazing or soldering or in any other convenient way. The lower bar 8 of the supportingframe passes diametrically across the lower end of the tube 2, as shown at 11 in Fig. 3.

Mounted upon a supporting-frame 6 isa pair of bellows 12, in the form of a collapsible and expansible compartment for the reception of the chemicals hereinafter referred to. This compartmentis formed bya series of plates 13, of approximately-eqnal size, hinged together at their opposite edges, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and U. Two of the hinge-pins 14 and l5 are provided at their opposite ends with eyes 16, which encircle the upper and lower bars 7 and 8 of the supporting-frame, so as to slide toward and away from each other thereon, the said eyes being shown at the outer limit of their movement in Fig. 5 and at the innerlimitof their movementin Fig. 6. These eyes, in connection with the upper and lower bars of the supporting-frame, serve to guide and steady the plates 13 as they move upon their hinged connection and when the plates swing from the position described to that shown in Fig. 0. 'lhehinge-pins latand 15 are provided intermediate their ends, and preferably nearer their lower ends, with inward offset eyes 16, and a contractile spring 18 has its ends connected to said eyes, the tension of said spring being exerted to draw the hingepins 14 and 15 toward each other for expanding the bellows and causing it to assume the position shown in Fig. 6.

19 designates a pair of togglearms, which are connected at their outer lower ends pivotally to the eyes 17, the inner ends'of said toggle-arms being pivotally connected byproviding the end of one of the arms with an eye or loop 20 and bending the end of the other arm laterally to form an extension or pin 21, which passes through the eye or loop 20 and also through a cork or stopper 22, arranged to slide longitudinally within the tube The tube 2 is provided at one side with a longitudinal slot 23, which receives and guides the end of the pin 21, thereby steadying and guiding the stopper 2 in its movement to close the neck 3. The tube 2 is also provided with other slots 24 to allow the water which enters the tube to pass therefrom into the bag for acting upon the chemicals contained between the plates 13, as shown in Fig. 5.

The neck 3 is filled to any desired depth with a seal 25 of starch or other material which will harden and which is soluble in water. Connected to the cork or stopper 22 is a cord or flexible connection 26. This connection is attached, preferably, to the bottom of the stopper, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, extending from thence downward and passing under the bar 8, where it crosses the lower end of the tube 2. The connection 26 then extends upward and has at its upper end a button or stop 27, which is designed to be seated or embedded in the seal 25, as shown in Fig. 3. In order to enable the water to attack the seal 25 with greater effect and act with greater rapidity thereon, the neck 3 is provided with lateral perforations 28, as shown, for example, in Fig. 3. The bag, as previously stated, may be of any size, and that portion which extends below the supporting-frame may be folded or lapped upon itself, as shown in Fig.

2, and the device as a whole may be inclosed by and incased within a suitable covering 29, of leather or textile material, the edges of which are adapted to be lapped over each other, as shown at 30, on that side of the article which is nearest the clothing to which the device is attached. The device when folded, as shown in Fig. 2, may be attached to the clothing, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of a safety-pin or any convenient fastening device. When folded, it is exceedingly compact and may be attached to the vest beneath one of the lapels of the coat, where it is entirely concealed from view.

When a person for any reason is thrown into the water, the waterimmediately attacks the seal 25, and this is in a very short space of time dissolved. As soon as the seal is displaced a certain amount of water rushes into the bag. At the same time the cork or connection 2G is released, and the spring 18 now acts to draw the hinge-pins 1t and 15 toward each other, thereby spreading the bellows and causing it to press the sides of the bag outward, as shown in Fig. 6. This creates a suction and forces an additional quantityof water into the bag, the water immediately attacking the chemicals and liberating a gas, which inliates the bag. At the same time that the bellows is expanded the toggle-arms 19 act to thrust the stopper 22 tightly into the neck 3, and the supply of water is thus cut off, and at the same time the gas with which the bag is inflated is prevented from escaping. All this takes place without any attention on the part of the person wearing the life-preserver, and it will therefore be seen that the apparatus is entirely automatic in action and requires no thought on the part of the person carrying the life-preserver.

The invention will be of special value in case of shipwrecks, collisions, &c. and where, owing to excitement and other conditions, it is impossible to provide the passengers with the life-preservers with which vessels are ordinarily supplied.

The covering 29 is loosely applied to the device, so that it will not prevent the bag from being inflated when water attacks the chemicals therein, the edges of the covering being simply overlapped and preferably confined between the device and the clothing of the wearer, so that the overlapped ends will readily slip by each other when the bag begins to expand. The space between the plates 13 is partially or wholly filled with the chemicals, and these may consist of tartaric acid and carbonate of soda, which when attacked by water will give off carbonic-acid gas. Any other chemicals which will produce a like effect may be used.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape,

proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

The seal 25 effectually closes the entrance to the sack and prevents the chemicals from being subjected to atmospheric action, thus preserving the chemicals and keeping thenr in condition to generate a gas whenever water comes in contact therewith.

The broad ground of this invention is disclosed and claimed in another application, Serial No.740,324, filed December 14, 1899,for improvements in life-preservers. In the said other application the chemicals are used in liquid form and do not necessitate an induced inflow of water, as water in the proper quantity is associated with the chemicals,and all that is required is to combine the different solutions in order to generate the gas with which the sack is inflated. In addition to the foregoing the aforesaid application, Serial No. 740,324, filed December 14, 1899,.is made the parent case with reference to another feature disclosed in both applicationsnamely, the outer case orcoverin g for the device,apart from the in flatable sack, and which' is designed to open automatically to permit of the full inflation of the sack. This broad idea is claimed, and degired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a life-preserver, an inflatable sack, in combination with means contained therein for creating a suction and inducing the inflow of a quantity of water, substantially as described.

2. In a life-preserver, an inflatable sack containing a gas-generating substance,in combination with means also contained within the sack for expanding the sack and inducing an inflow of water for the purpose of attacking said substance and generating a gas to inflate the bag, substantially as described.

3. In a life-preserver, an inflatable bag, in combination with mechanical means contained within the sack for expanding the bag and creating a partial vacuum therein, and means for sealing the entrance to the bag, substantially as described.

4. In a life-preserver, an inflatable bag having an entrance-neck, in combination with a bellows contained within the bag, means contained within the sack for automatically actuating said bellows, and means within the sack for closing the entrance-neck, substantially as described.

I 5. In a life-preserver, in combination, an inflatable sack, mechanical devices contained within the sack for partially expanding the same, and producing a partial vacuum therein, a seal for the bag solublein water, and an automatic stopp'e'r within the sack therefor, substantially as described.

- 6. In a life-preserver, the combination with an inflatable sack, of a tube adjacent to the entrance-opening therein, a soluble seal in said tube, a movable stopper arranged to close said tube, and actuating means for the stopper, substantially as described.

7. In a life-preserver, the combination with an inflatable sack, of a tube forming the entrance to the bag, a soluble seal therein, a movable stopper for closing the mouth of the tube after the seal has been displaced, actuating means for said stopper, and stopper-releasing means controlled by the soluble seal, substantially as described.

8. In a life-preserver, the combination with an inflatable sack, of means for inducing an inflow of water, a stopper for shutting off the water, and a spring for actuating the stopper to close the bag, substantially as described.

9. In a life-preserver, the combination with an inflatable sack, of a stopper therefor, means for inducing an inflow of water to the sack, actuating means for the stopper, and a releasing device for the stopper which operates upon the entrance of water to the bag, substantially as described.

10. In alife-preserver, the combination with aninflatable bag, of a snpporting-framev arranged therein, bellows mounted on said frame, actuating means for the bellows, and

.an automatic stopper for closing the entrance 13. In a life-preserver, the combination with an inflatable sack, of a pair of bellows arranged within the bag and serving to partially expand the same, a spring for operating said bellows, a stopper operatively connected with the bellows, a releasing device connected to said stopper, and a soluble seal holding the stopper inactive, substantially as described.

14. In a life-preserver,the combination with an inflatable sack, of bellows arranged therein, actuating means for expanding the bellows, a stopper for automatically closing the mouth of the bag, and toggle-arms connecting said stopper with the bellows, substantially as described.

15. In a life-preserver,the combination with an inflatable sack, of a tube arranged in the mouth of the bag, and provided with a longitudinal slot, a supporting-frame connected to IIO said tube, bellows mounted on said frame, a stopper movable longitudinally in said tube for closing the mouth of the bag, and togglearms interposed between said stopper and bellows, one of the toggle-arms being extended through the stopper and having its project-- ing end working in the longitudinal slot in the tube, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. In a life-preserver,tl1e combination with an inflatable bag, of a series of pivotally-connected plates forming a pair of bellows, and comprising a chemical containing space, means for swinging said plates upon their pivotal connection, a soluble seal closing the entrance to the bag, and a stopper which operates automatically to close the mouth of the bag when said plates are swung outward, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

17. In alife-preserver,tl1e combination with an inflatable sack, of mechanical means for expanding the bag and creating a partial vacuum therein, a soluble seal closing the entrance to the bag, a movable stopper for subsequently closing the entrance of the bag, and a flexible connection attached to said stopper and provided with a button or stop adapt-ed to be seated or embedded in the soluble seal, substantially as described.

18. Inalife-preserver,tl1e combination with an inflatable sack, of a supporting-frame mounted therein and having parallel bars, a bellows comprised by a series of plates hingedly connected at their adjoining edges, hinge-pins for said plates having terminal. eyes which slidingly embrace the bars of the supporting-frame, a contractile spring having its terminals connected to said hinge-pins, and a stopper operatively connected to the bellows and adapted to be actuated thereby for closing the mouth of the bag, substantially as described.

19. In alife-preserver,the combination with an inflatable bag, of a supporting frame mounted therein and comprising parallel bars, bellows consisting of a series of hinged plates, hinge-pins for said bellows having terminal eyes which are slidingly mounted on said parallel bars, eyes located intermediate the ends of said hinge-pins, a contractile spring eonneeted at its ends to said intermediate eyes, a stopper for automatically closing the mouth of the bag, and toggle-arms interposed between said stopper and the intermediate eyes of the hinge-pins, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

II. (J. LAVERY.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERs, NELLIE VAN METRE. 

